If your idea of laugh-out-loud comedy is a slew of tasteless gags at the expense of the elderly, mentally ill, and otherwise infirm, then Getting On might be your thing. Another Office-style mock-doc that rips off its somewhat less offensive British cousin, Getting On follows a failing California extended-care unit and its hapless neurotic employees, who are arguably in worse shape than the ailing oldsters they attempt to care for. Laurie Metcalf stars as Dr. Jenna James, a lonely, ambitious, slightly psychotic MD who hangs around the ward making one failed attempt after another at achieving power and influence. Character actress Alex Borstein plays Dawn, an overweight compulsive eater who's a barely competent nurse. Both Metcalf and Borstein work hard at developing their respective characters, but the series relies too much on poking fun at the geriatric foibles of the ever-revolving cast of in-patients. The “jokes” here center on incontinence, dementia, and general senility-related issues of the poor folks who are unfortunate enough to find themselves at the mercy of the screw-ups that run the place. As with the American version of The Office, Getting On consistently overreaches for its laughs, mistaking social unease and human neuroses for comedic fodder. Compiling all six episodes from the 2013 debut season, extras include deleted scenes and a gag reel. Some critics found this brilliant (others not), so consider it a strong optional purchase. (M. Sandlin)
Getting On: The Complete First Season
HBO, 180 min., TV-MA, DVD: $29.98, Blu-ray: $39.98 Volume 30, Issue 1
Getting On: The Complete First Season
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